Packaging

Today it is increasingly unusual for food not to have some form of packaging, and as well as packaging food comes into contact with a wide variety of surfaces – for example, utensils in the home, conveyor belts in food manufacture, and boxes and vehicles when it is distributed around the country.

Bisphenol-A , or BPA, is a chemical used to make hard plastics. It is used in all sorts of products, from car headlights to food containers such as baby bottles. It's also used in the coating inside food cans, to stop metal getting into the food.

Phthalates are a group of chemicals called phthalic acid diesters. They have a variety of industrial uses and are found in lubricating oils and a wide range of household and consumer goods. In food packaging, phthalate use is limited, mainly to the manufacture of materials such as adhesives and some printing inks.

Regulations on plastic materials and articles apply to those that consist exclusively of plastics, or that are made up of two or more layers of plastic material bound together by adhesives or any other means. In their finished state, these plastics must be intended to be brought into contact with food.

Many people re-use the containers that their food comes in, or the wrapping around it. Some re-uses of food packaging may be perfectly safe, but often packaging is designed to be used once with one food and it might not be safe to use it with others, or for a different purpose.